How to Tie a Tie
by Danlotte Shipper
Summary: Daniel forgets how to tie a tie. Charlotte reminds him. Dan/Charlotte. Angst/fluff. Mostly fluff.


_How To Tie A Tie_

Daniel's memory is fading, more quickly now than ever. All that radiation is really, finally catching up with him, and he hates it.

There are so many things he wishes he could remember.

Like now, for instance. It's important—he knows it. He knows what he's forgotten must be important.

He stares blankly at the tie in his hands. _The tie... _

He knows it's a tie. He knows how it should look around his neck. He just... he just can't remember how to make it look that way. How to put it on.

He loops it behind his head so it dangles from his neck, but...

But he can't remember.

Charlotte turns in her sleep, moving her lips with a sigh before falling silent again.

He wonders vaguely if she knows how to tie a tie. _Why would she? _Not that he's about to wake her up to ask her.

...

It isn't that important. He could just put it down. He should. He won't even remember the struggle in a couple days, anyway, right?

Still, some part of him really wants—_needs_ to remember this. Just to prove to himself that he _can_ remember.

"Daniel?"

He jerks, turning to Charlotte.

She sits up drowsily, putting a hand over her face.

"Hey."

"What are..." Her eyes scan the darkness of the tent, adjusting to the early morning light, or lack thereof. They finally settle on the tie in his hands, the confusion in his eyes.

She knows about his memory. He's told her about it, he thinks. Yes, he did, and she had nodded and listened and smiled a little with her lips turned down at the edges when he'd tried to make light of it. But she'd probably already figured it out before he actually told her.

Charlotte analyzes his expression now, and he holds her gaze as best he can. They don't talk about his memory. She reminds him things he forgets, and they leave the rest unspoken. He doesn't say anything. She doesn't ask.

Like now. She closes the distance between them and positions herself opposite him.

Her eyes meet his for a split second, but she focuses her attention on to the tie again, taking one end in each hand. She crosses the fabric and loops it through the space between, and Daniel remembers. _Windsor, Half Windsor, Four in Hand..._

How could he forget something so simple?

He sighs, close to forming words, to tell her that he remembers. He doesn't, though, because her hands are warm when they touch his skin. It's... nice.

Charlotte looks up to the sound when he exhales, half a smile pulling at her lips. Her hands are swift, her knuckles barely brushing his neck. He can still feel himself flush.

She finally finishes the knot, tightening it, and leaning just slightly forward while doing so. There's a blank expression on her face when she glances up. No more smiles.

He should kiss her. That would be the... romantic thing. He would if he weren't such a coward. If he weren't... him.

They're so close, she wouldn't even know if he had actually kissed her or just leaned too close, right?

Suddenly Charlotte smiles, rocking back and dropping the tie.

"Hot date?" She stretches, fully awake now, with that smile still on her face.

"What? No—I was just...going to take a walk." He's too distracted by the fact that he had been _this_ close to kissing her to realize she was joking.

"Right." She's fighting a grin now, he can tell.

Finding no other words, he nods to her and steps out of the tent, flushed again.

One, two, three, four steps.

He turns around. One, two, three...

"Charlotte?"

"Hm?"

"Would—do you want to come with me?"

She lifts an eyebrow. For a minute, he thinks she might say no, and he scrambles for an excuse.

"Yeah, sure." There's a question in her tone, but a reply nonetheless.

She stands suddenly, and he isn't expecting for her to be so close, but she is. Now they're face to face, and he's looking at her eyes for a split second before she's too close for him to see anything but the blurred outline of her red hair. Her lips brush his, soft and sweet—and then it's over.

He can't be sure if that would be classified as a kiss, or maybe she just stood up too fast.

She's smiling now, and he's sure he must be, too, as he catches up to her, already one step ahead of him as they make their way down the beach.

So he is forgetting, but he can't let himself forget that. Of course not. He'll forget his own name before he forgets Charlotte's. Before he forgets _that_.

For everything else, Charlotte will be there to remind him. Of course she will.

* * *

A/N: Angst at the beginning, and then a fluff ending. Because it's Tuesday, which is sometimes even worse than Monday because now you're sure this week really _is_ going to be as boring as last week. And fluff brightens it up, right? I hope it does. Review please? Tell me if I totally messed this up. Thanks, guys! :)


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